Vibrator with automatic regulation



July 4, 1950 1.. J. WEBER VIBRATOR WITH AUTOMATIC REGULATION Filed July 8, 1948 INVENTOR.

LUTHER J WEBEQ QM 16m ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Luther J. Weber, Chicago, 111., assignor to Oak Mfg. 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 8, 1948, Serial No. 37,720

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a. vibrator of the type used in electrical power supplies for converting a direct current at one potential into currents at higher potentials. Vibrators of this type are generally used in connection with batteries or direct current generators such as on automobiles or aircraft when it is desired to obtain high potential for operating electrical communication systems. Vibrators of this type generally comprise a frame carrying stationary contacts with which movable contacts on a rec'd are adapted to cooperate. .By suitable make and break means the reed is maintained in continuous vibration and the contacts thus alternately open and close a circuit, including a transformer winding.

In many instances vibrators of this type have substantial ranges of potential impressed upon them under normal operating conditions. Thus in automobiles, a vibrator normally adapted for operation on six volts may have to operate on voltages as low as 4 and as high as 8. Similar variation in operating voltages exist on systems where the direct potential used is higher. Thus in many aircraft installations, the range of voltage may be as great as from 8 to 19. The output of the power supply of which the vibrator forms part, should, for best results, be constant so that the communication or other equipment operated by the power supply should operate at high efliciency. It is clear, however, that a vibrator having a substantial variation in input potential is not likely to have or permit a constant potential output from the power supply.

The output in terms of power from a vibrator is a function of the source voltage, contact closure time or dwell and contactresistance under operating or dynamic conditions. Contact dwell and frequency of reed vibration are substantially constant and will hardly vary over large ranges of input potential with good design. This results in a power variation proportional to the source voltage.

The invention hereinafter described provides a vibrator which will deliver substantially constant power over a large variation of potential applied to the vibrator and will provide a. substantially constant average potential in the transformer circuit. Thus the power delivered to a transformer primary whose circuit is being controlled by the vibrator will remain constant and thus insure a constant output for the power supply.

The invention in general provides a vibrator structure wherein the contact spacing is a function of potential as applied to the vibrator.

Means are provided for increasing the spacing 66 2 between the fixed and movable contacts with increase in applied potential to the vibrator. Thus over a wide range of applied potential to the vibrator, the variation in contact spacing may be such that the power output of the vibrator may be maintained constant.

In general, the invention contemplates a vibrator structure wherein the so-called stationary contacts are provided with means for moving the same toward or away from the movable contacts depending upon whether the applied potential is above or below a predetermined normal value. A structure embodying the present invention has a solenoid having a winding energized from the direct current source applied to the vibrator. This solenoid has suitable means for controlling the spacing between fixed and movable vibrator contacts. In addition the solenoid may have a. winding responsive to the current output.

The invention may be applied to the shunt vibrator or the type having a separate driving contact. In order that the invention may be understood, reference will now be made to the drawings in connection'with which a description is given. It is understood, however, that the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing are exemplary and that numerous modifications within the spirit may be made without departing from the scope thereof except as modified by the claims.

Referring therefore to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation along broken line l-l of Figure 2 together with a circuit diagram of connections of a vibrator embodying the present invention. Figure 2 is an elevation of the vibrator of Figure 1 with certain parts broken away. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the vibrator.

Referring first to Figure 1, the vibrator may have any desired construction and may be generally similar to that disclosed in Patent 2,140,792 issued December 20, 1938. The vibrator shown in Figure 1 has frame IQ of sheet steel or any other farm-magnetic material. Frame I0 is bent at H and has depending portion i2 surrounded by driving coil I 3. Portion I! has pole piece II preferably tapered as shown.

Frame I 8 has end portions l1 and it between which is clamped stack is. The stack is maintained in a tightly compressed condition by bolts 20 insulated from the stack proper by sleeves ll of rubber or other insulating material. Stack i0 carries at its center, reed 23 carrying movable contacts 24 and 25, on opposite sides of the reed. The reed itself terminates in armature 26 at the free end thereof, this armature cooperating with pole piece I 5 in the usual fashion. As seen in Figure 2 the reed has its interior portion cut out to leave small spring arm 23 carrying driving contact 29 at the free end thereof. Movable driving contact 29 cooperates with fixed driving contact 30 carried by frame It. The reed carries damping plate 3| adjacent spring arm 23.

Reed 23 has adjacent thereto contact plate 32. The stack includes space blocks 34 and 35 of metal or insulation. If these blocks are of metal, then additional insulating plates 31 and 33 are disposed to form part of the stack. Beyond insulating plates 3'! and 33 are rockers each consisting of members 40 and 4| respectively of metal. These members have a semi-circular section as seen in Figure 1 and may be either hemlspherical or semi-cylindrical. These rocking members clamp contact arm 42 therebetween, the clamping action permitting the fixed contact arm 42 to be rocked. Beyond member 4| is metal contact member 43 for providing a circuit con nection to fixed contact arm 42. Each portion of the stack continues with conducting member '44 and insulating member 46. The exact construction and disposition of the insulating and conducting members in the stack may be varied widely.

' Contact arm' 42 carries at one free end thereof fixed contact 43 for cooperation with movable contact 24. Contact arm 42' is similarly disposed.

Fixed contact arm 42 extends below the stack away from the reed and carries ferro-magnetic armature 45. Armature 45 may consist of a short length of cylindrical rod extending generally parallel to the stack. Arm 42' carries armature 45'. Armatures 45 and 45 are disposed opposite each other and cooperate together in a solenoid. Armatures 45 and 45' have preferably disposed therebetween mass 46 of rubbe;- or other compressible material. Surrounding armatures 45 and 45' is solenoid 4! having potential responsive winding 43 and current responsive winding 49. Solenoid 43 may have iron strap 53 disposed around the same to complete at least partially the magnetic circuit and be bolted at 5| upon portion 52 of the frame extending below the stack.

The vibrator is actuated by battery 53 connected as shown across the terminals of solenoid winding 48. In addition, one terminal of the battery is connected through winding 49 to midpoint 55 of transformer primary 53. Transformer primary 56 has its two terminals connected to lugs on the contact plates for completing a circuit to the contacts controlled by the vibrator. In addition, vibrator winding I3 is connected to one terminal of the battery while the other terminal of the winding is connected to the frame. The circuit continues through the driving contacts to the reed and thence by wire to one side of battery 53 and then through winding 43 to tap 55. This current winding however will aid in preventing flash-over at the vibrator contacts. Thus excess-current occurring with flash-over aids in promoting contact separation; It is understood that windings 43 and 49 are aiding for increasing contact spacing due to increase in potential of source 53 or'increase in current. Contact carrying arms'42'and 42" are normally adjusted to have a predetermined position with respect to the movable contacts in the rest position of the vibrator. This normal position is determined in part by energization of the solenoid winding 48 from the battery for driving the-vi-' brator. It is clear that if the battery potential be correspondingly diminished and the compressible medium between the armatures will there- 'upon permit the' contact carrying arms to move or rock and bring the fixed contacts closer together.

It is evident that the vibrator itself may be constructed in a variety of ways and that numerous ways of accomplishing the rocking of the contact carrying arm may be employed.

What is claimed is:

A 1. A vibrator for use in converting direct current into pulsating current and adapted to maintain a substantially constant power output over variations in potential of said direct current source, said vibrator comprising a ferro-magnetic base having one end carrying a magnetizing' winding and a switch stack support on said-base at the other end thereof, a vibratable reed carried by said stack and extending toward said one end for cooperation with said magnetizing winding for maintaining reed vibration, movable contacts carried by said reed, fixed contacts for cooperation with said movable contacts, rockable arms carried by said stack and extending from said stack toward and away from said magnetizing winding, said arms bearing said fixed contacts at the end nearest the winding, each arm having an armature at the end remote from said winding with the two armatures extending toward each other, a solenoid including a winding,-said armatures cooperating with said solenoid, resilient materials between said armatures, terminals for said vibrator for connection to a source of direct current and connections to said terminals for disposing said solenoid winding across the source of direct current and for disposing said fixed and movable contacts when said vibrator is connected to a source of direct current whereby said vibrator will operate to make and break a circuit.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein each contact carrying arm has a portion extending beyond the stack with the armature at the end of said arm and wherein said stack includes rocking means for mounting said arm to provide a substantially line contact between the stack and each arm.

3. The structure according to claim, 1 wherein each contact carrying arm extends beyond the stack with its armature at the free end thereof and wherein mounting means for carrying each arm on said stack is provided, said mounting means having a. semi-circular cross section on each side of the arm to permit rocking of each arm.

4. The structure according to claim 1 wherein each contact carrying arm extends on the other side of said stack .and carries its armature at the free end thereof and wherein said stack has opposed cylindrical bearing members for carrying each arm, to provide a line contact for permitting rocking oi each arm. 1

5. A vibrator comprising a ferro-magnetic base, a magnetizing winding. at. one end of the base,,a

switch stack supported on said base at the other end thereof, a vibratable reed rigidly supported at the stack and extending toward the winding, an armature carried at the free end of said reed, contacts carried by said reed, arms carried by said stack, stationary contacts on said arms for cooperation with said reed contacts, an armature carried by each arm, a solenoid cooperating with each armature, said vibrator having terminals connected to a source of direct current, said solenoid having two windings connected to said vibrator terminals to dispose said two windings in series with and across the potential source used for driving the vibrator in convertin direct current into pulsating current, said solenoid and armature cooperating to determine a stationary position for a contact carrying arm, said solenoid being adapted to increase the contact spacing with increase in current output of the vibrator or with increase in potential of the direct current source.

6. A vibrator for use in converting direct current into pulsating current and adapted to maintain a substantially constant power output, said vibrator comprising a ferro-magnetic base having a magnetizing winding at one end and a switch stack support on said base at the other end thereof, a vibratable reed carried by said stack and extending toward said one end for cooperation with said magnetizing winding for maintaining reed vibration, movable contacts carried by said reed, fixed contacts for cooperation with said movable contacts, arms carried by said stack bearing certain of said fixed contacts, each arm having an armature with the two armatures extending toward each other, a solenoid, said two armatures cooperating with said one solenoid,

, Number said vibrator having terminals connecting the same across a source of direct current, said solenoid having two windings, means for connecting one winding across the source of direct current and means for connecting said other winding in series with the source of direct current and the vibrator contacts when the vibrator is connected to a source of direct current, said two windings being in aiding relation and means for mounting said arms whereby an increase in current through either of said solenoid windings will tend to increase the distance between the fixed contacts.

7. The vibrator according to claim 6 wherein resilient material is disposed within said solenoid and between said armatures.

8. The structure according to claim 6 wherein each contact carrying arm has a portion extending beyond the stack with the armature at the end of said arm and wherein said stack includes rocking means for mounting said arm to provide a substantially line contact between the stack and each arm.

LUTHER J. WEBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Parcelle Aug. 11, 1885 Lewis Sept. 28, 1915 Maitre et al July 4, 1916 Thomas May 17, 1931 DeValera Oct. 15, 1935 Wood Sept. 3, 1940 Huettin Oct. 11, 1949 

